Braves and infielder José Devers have agreed to a minor league deal, according to Aram Leighton of Just Baseball (X link) and confirmed by MLBTR. A Rep 1 baseball client will receive an invitation to major league offseason training.
Devers, who turns 25 next week, was once a notable prospect but has yet to live up to that hype. An international signing of the Yankees, he was traded to the Marlins as part of a December 2017 trade that brought Giancarlo Stanton in the Bronx. Cousin of Rafael DeversJosé continued to attract attention for his athletic defense and strong communication skills. Baseball America ranked him as one of the top 15 prospects in the Miami program for four straight years from 2019 to 2022.
He was added to the team’s 40-man roster in December of 2020 to avoid entering the Rule 5 draft, but a significant shoulder issue defined much of his next two seasons. He played in just 33 games between the majors and minors in 2021 and had surgery in August of that year to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder. The recovery continued into the following season as he played just 60 minor league games in 2022. He cleared waivers and was released from Miami’s roster at the end of the 2022 season.
He was stuck at Triple-A in 2023 but had a decent campaign there, hitting just 14.8% of his plate appearances while hitting .276/.352/.421 with a 108 wRC+. But in 2024, he spent little time on the minor league injured list and only appeared in 54 Triple-A games, hitting .239/.304/.362 with a 74 wRC+. He was briefly listed as a major leaguer as they were playing in a lost season. He has a .244/.300/.311 line in just 50 major league games so far. He was not on the 40-man roster at the end of the season and was able to opt for free agency.
For Atlanta, there is little risk in the minor league deal. Devers has played all four positions in the infield, mostly up the middle. The team has done it Ozzie Albies cemented into the second base but Orlando Arcia is in a shakier position at shortstop. Nick Allen, Luke Williams again Nacho Alvarez Jr. they are listed but Devers gives them random depth.
Devers’ hopes have faded but he is still young and bruised by his many recent challenges. If he can stay healthy and get back on track, he still has an option year and a year of service time, meaning he can be kept cheap in the future if he can find a roster spot.
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